Meaning
A traditional children's game played in a circle ('ring') with singing and actions — the whole family of Jamaican folk games like 'Brown Girl in the Ring', 'There's a Brown Girl', and 'Little Sally Water', where players join hands, sing, and one in the middle chooses, dances, or acts out the verse. Ring games are a treasured part of childhood and of the island's oral and musical heritage.
Examples
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Di pickney dem a play ring game inna di yaad.
The children are playing ring games in the yard.
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Form a ring an sing di song.
Form a circle and sing the song.
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Ring game teach di likkle ones di old song dem.
Ring games teach the little ones the old songs.
Origin
From 'ring' (circle) + 'game'; traditional circle singing-games. See [[brown-girl-in-the-ring]], [[moonshine-darlin]].
How it’s used
Traditional circle singing-and-action children's games. See [[brown-girl-in-the-ring]], [[moonshine-darlin]].